Dudley mother walks free after conning 86-year-old dementia sufferer
A callous Dudley conwoman who cynically 'bled' an elderly dementia sufferer of cash has been spared the prospect of jail thanks to her one month old baby.
Hayley Pratley, of Park Road, Netherton, deliberately befriended the 86-year-old man and then posed as his granddaughter while tricking him into withdrawing cash for her, a judge heard yesterday.
The 22-year-old drug addict did not even bother to put a coat on the victim and was still wearing slippers when she took him to the bank, Wolverhampton Crown Court was told.
Prosecutor Mark Rees said: "She took advantage of an elder-ly man who suffers from demen-tia and depends on friends and family." But neighbours of the man, who had difficulty walking, became concerned when they saw Pratley bundling him into a taxi, the court heard.
Then suspicious staff at Lloyds Bank in West Bromwich alerted police as she attempted to get him to take a further £300 from his account shortly after the first withdrawal, the court heard.
"She failed on this occasion because of the vigilance of the bank staff, " concluded Mr Rees. Pratley, who had 15 previous convictions for offences including theft and obtaining property by deception, was arrested at the branch on September 28.
Mr Jasvir Mann, defending, said: "She is making valiant att-empts to rid herself of drugs. The birth of her child on April 29 has led to a change in her lifestyle."
Pratley admitted theft and attempted theft.
